Islanders Share Thoughts on Defensive Zone Structure, Retreating, & Penalty Problem

The New York Islanders focused heavily on their defensive zone structure at Wednesday's practice. Here's what some of the players had to say and how defensive zone structure is the root of most, if not all, of their problems.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders have had plenty of issues through the first 11 games of the season. 

They have scored the fifth-fewest goals in the NHL, with 29. They are allowing the third-most shots per game at 35.4. 

Although they aren't at the top of the NHL in terms of penalties taken or minutes shorthanded, the Islanders have averaged 3.5 penalties per game, which as of late, is just crushing their ability to lock down leads and collect two points.

All of these issues stem from structure, especially in the defensive zone. 

Their inability to break out of their own zone eliminates their ability to garner offensive chances. It also exhausts the defensemen and the goaltending, which in part leads to more penalties.

It's all connected.

So, what Lane Lambert did at Islanders practice on Wednesday was reset the structure, get back to the basics, and hone in on being more aggressive on the puck carrier while trying to eliminate this retreat style of play that's causing such an issue. 

"Clearly, it's warranted, and it's necessary," Lambert said about focusing so much on the structure Wednesday. "And saying that, I thought we were better in the defensive zone last night. Better than we have been, so I think it's trending, but certainly, it's a situation where we have to continue to improve.

But it's not just as simple as being aggressive. In today's NHL, defensemen are incredibly mobile and deceptive, and in a second, a fake shot at the point could have the structure all out of sorts.

The Hockey News asked Lambert about the fine line between not being too aggressive. 

"It's all about stick position and angles," Lambert said. 

Following practice, THN caught up with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Anders Lee, Cal Clutterbuck, and Matt Martin to discuss their thoughts on practice and the issues stated above. 

The Islanders may have a veteran group and may have had previous success with their structure. But that doesn't mean it's a bad idea to break things down, step by step, and kind of reset the mind on what needs to happen.

"Sometimes it's just good to get back to the little details like that," Pageau told THN. "Over the course of time, it's not stuff that you forget, but you kind of take for granted. With the movement now from the defenseman in the o-zone, you want to make sure that the other players are at the right spots and that we're protecting the inside, and I thought it was just good to get all those points pointed out today."

Again, this is a veteran group that hasn't tweaked its structure too much. So why the issues?

"You go over it at the training camp and during the season, but not that much detail," Pageau said. "Like when the puck is rimmed around, there's a certain way you move and replace the centerman. So it's just also details.

"If you do it in practice, it becomes a habit, and you want those habits in the game. You just want it to become natural. You don't want to be on the ice during a game, and if you [have to] think about it, then it's probably already too late."

Clutterbuck touched further on the importance of knowing who is on the ice, too, which plays a vital part in just how aggressive the structure can be.

"It's part of your reaction. The knowledge of that is already there," Clutterbuck said. "So your reaction is based on predetermined factors. You're on the ice, you've made a scan, you know, who's out there, you know what hand he shoots, and you just react."

The NHL game is fast, and it's not easy to keep that structure. That's what separates the good teams from the great teams. 

"It's a game of mistakes. Things are gonna happen at high speed. And the second you think about it, you're late, so you got to just commit to it, whatever it is." Lee told THN. "And if you're making it out of anticipation or hard work, you can live with the consequences. It's when you're indecisive that I think we want us to just play and play fast."

For the most part, the Islanders have played strong hockey through forty minutes of play, but have just struggled to close the door, something that was such a strength of this team. 

The Islanders have led at one point or another in all eight home games this season but have accumulated just nine points (3-2-3). 

They've been outscored 12-6 in the "final 20" on home ice, losing all three games that have gone to overtime. It's a trend that certainly can't continue if playoff hockey is the goal.

"We've had leads that we haven't held on to that have taken us to overtime that we haven't got that extra points," Lee told THN. "So yeah, we're leaving points out there. And that's something that we have to work on and have to come out with the same mentality that we have in the first and second.

"We come out with it, but then you got to execute it. The mindset's there. Guys have the thought process, but then you have to go out and do it. That's the biggest thing at the end of the day. It's about execution. And playing to what we're striving for."

Clutterbuck was honest about the retreating. 

"Most of the third periods you're talking about, we had leads and, you know, potentially, we probably got less aggressive, but we've also taken a lot of penalties," Clutterbuck told THN. "And so, you can't be breaking out, chipping in, forechecking, and keeping teams in their own zone when you take penalties, so that's part of it. 

"And I think there's a confidence part to it when you have leads. We, in the past, have been very, very good at closing those games out. And I think it's a mindset and a commitment to playing a certain way, and we will get there."

Martin made it simple:

"We need to stop giving up leads. It's just the bottom line. We put ourselves in a position to win a lot of games. And although our record isn't bad through 11 games, if we're being realistic and honest, it should be better," Martin said. "So we're doing something we need to focus on and clean up for sure. Because I think in years past when we got the lead, we didn't give it up, and that's who we are and who we need to be, and now we gotta get back to that."

The Islanders are in the middle of the pack in terms of penalty minutes, but like anything, it's not about the quantity but about when they are occurring. 

New York has been shorthanded 39 times this season, 15 times in third periods (38.4%). Fourteen of their third-period penalties (that led to opponent PPs) have come on home ice.

"I guess it's a mindset thing," Martin told THN. "Honestly, penalties are gonna happen. When we do get a penalty, we need to focus on killing it. But we've had some disappointing ones, especially in the offensive zone, 200 feet from your net, that you don't need to take. 

"We need to be better in those areas. But around our net, playing hard, being physical, if you get one that way, that is hockey at the same time. But I think it's mindset and just, we need to more disciplined and responsible."

Lee added: "You gotta avoid the ones that are avoidable. The ones that are unnecessary don't need to be taken. There's a time in place for some, for sure. There's a time and place when they might hurt a little bit."

"Part of it is us not being necessarily in the right spot. Part of it is just mindless stick position," Clutterbuck said. "Part of it is the fact that it's November, and usually in October or November, there's 12 power play a game which pisses me off, but what are you gonna do? Just the way it's been. So all of those things combined...you can't pinpoint one thing."

Talk is all good, and the players are also saying the right things. But, at the end of the day, it's about results, and after dropping two straight games, two winnable games, the Islanders head to Boston to face a Bruins team that is 10-1-1 on the season. 

It's a game where the structure has to be nearly perfect, the breakouts need to be sharp, and the trips to the penalty box need to be extremely limited if the Islanders want a point. 

"We are moving forward. We got a big game tomorrow against one of the best teams in the league in their building. "The guys are gonna be juiced up for that. It's exciting to play these games and go into a tough building and play Boston.

"We'll learn from our stuff and just continue to try to build and move forward and improve upon our game. Hey, it's a long year here, and we got a long way to go."